Chapter Text
Shi-no-musume: Hello there! This is something a biiiit new! I have a co-writer with me, say hi!
Starlight: Hello everyone! I'm very excited to work on this piece as a co-writer and I hope you enjoy it!!
Shi-no-musume; I hope you all enjoy!!!!
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Arcane laughed uncontrollably as she weaved through the streets with scouts, their capes an entertaining shade of pink, on her heels. How had she gotten into this mess? Well the answer is simple really, she had gotten bored and her mother had given her an array of trickster portions which she had used to turn some scouts from the Emperor's covent bright pink. The pottons in question were strung around her torso and clanked against each other, their contents sloshing as she took yet another sharp turn.
The scouts were still too close for comfort, Arcane looked around for an exit spotting one she ran full force towards a barrel. Arcane climbed onto the barrel and leaped grabbing onto a sign labeled "goblins and grewal" using her momentum to propel herself onto the roof landing with a loud thump. She could feel the bruises start to form and the friction burn that was already stinging her hands but she cheered anyway at her success. Looking down at the bewildered scouts she called out, "byee!" before disappearing out of their sight. The roofs were all strange and dilapidated shapes which made for an interesting form of travel but Arcane went from roof to roof with ease, occasionally checking behind her to make sure she had fully lost the scouts. It didn't take long for her to give them the slip though and soon made her way home. When the owl house came into view, Arcane felt herself relax striding over to the door she said "sup hooty."
The door demon, excited to see the young witch, wrapped himself around her squeezing tightly.
"Anie!", he hooted in his usual shrill voice using the atrocious nickname he had given her years ago.
Arcane struggled out of the house demon's gripp holding him at arm's length.
"Remember what I told you about personal space! Next time I poke out an eye, now let me in." Hooty grumbled something about never being nice before swinging the door open.
"I'm guessing mom's not home yet?" said Arcane.
King, who had apparently been napping on the couch, yawned and stretched.
"Nope still selling her human trash at the market. Now if you'll excuse me-", the small demon did a circle before flopping back down cuddling one of his many stuffed animals-minions. Arcane sighed, pulling a spare blanket over him, and picking him up before making her way to her room. Per owl house norm, her room was full of random things and whatchamacallits, things her mother hand gave her from years of going to the human realm. Her bed, a generally comfortable nest of pillows and blankets, took up a quarter of her room.
Tired from her run and no longer full of adrenaline from her little prank, Arcane laid King's sleeping form onto the bed and practically fell forward rolling over to look at her ceiling. It was painted to look like the sky and enchanted to change depending on the time of day.
Before she knew it, Arcane had drifted off into sleep, wrapped in a silky darkness that lulled her into bliss. Her rest was interrupted by a commotion downstairs. As she sat up she realized that King had left her side while she was asleep--the spot he had been laying in was still warm--her mom must be back home. Yawning, Arcane stood, not bothering to even smooth out her hair, a dusty brown that could, in the right light, be mistaken for a dirty blond, before making her way out to the others.
As she neared the entryway to the living area, Arcane heard the squealing sounds that king usually made when distressed and the voice of a young girl saying something in a language she was not familiar with. When she finally turned the corner into the space she was met with a peculiar sight. King was being held by a young girl in a blue and white hoody who seemed to be gushing over his cuteness. She looked to be about a year older than Arcane, though something felt off. It wasn't until Arcane looked a little closer did she realize what it was, the girl's ears were distinctively round and lacking that prominent point that all witches have.
Arcane's mom was watching the entire ordeal with her trademark mischievous smile. "I knew you like human things but did you really take a human? That's a little too far even for you."
The human in question gasped when she saw Arcane, she dropped the king and ran over to the young witchlet and jumped up and down "ooooh tinier witch. Hi, my name is Luz!"
Luz held out her hand enthusiastically and Arcane raised a brow at her mother who was obviously trying to hold in a laugh at the sight of her daughter being bombarded by the human girl who had most likely had the same energy when talking to her. "My name is Arcane, I see you've already met-." she paused as a memory of when she was small flashed into her mind.
Arcane was around four, Eda had told her to stay in the owl house while she worked but the curious witchling had found a way outside and began exploring the vast world she had only partially ever seen.
The streets of Bonesburrow, full of so many strange and fantastical things ensnared Arcane's small child mind. She found herself wandering the streets without any direction constantly running after whatever caught her attention. She didn't even notice that she had become lost until she felt her stomach twist and growl in hunger. Only then did she really take in where she was. Her wanderings had led her to her grandest building he had ever seen, on the large stone walls hung golden banners with a simbol she did not know.
Arcane sniffed the air the smell of food was drifting in from a side door, looking around and finding the coast clear, she snuck through the entryway into the large and busy kitchen seeing a hot loaf of bread on the counter near her, Arcane felt her mouth began to water and she reached a small hand out. Just as her little fingers brushed the warm bread, someone grabbed her wrist. A witch with deep red hair glared down at the small child hissing, "what are you doing here kid."
Arcane stuttered blue eyes wide "I-I got lost and I'm hungry and and I don't know where I am and I'm scared" she blabbered out tears falling down her cheeks. The witch seemed to take pity on what she believed to be a homeless child, her features softening into a look of pity as she let go of Arcane and handed the girl the bread.
"Careful," she said,"I'll be right back, stay there". The woman disappeared from the kitchen coming back with an extra cloak and handing it to the girl. "Now be off and don't let me see you around here again or it's to the comformatorium for you." Arcane nodded and ran out. Still lost, she wandered around chewing on the bread. Through the cacophony of noise she heard a familiar voice calling out to the crowd. "Mommy" she whispered under her breath running to where Eda was trying to sell her collection of human oddities. Eda was shocked when her daughter purst through the passing crown holding a half eaten loaf of bread.
"Arcane-what are you doing here? I told you to stay at home- where did you get that bread, wait" the owl lady closely inspected the cloak her daughter was wearing, the white fabric pinned around her neck by a golden insignia of-"where did you get this?"
Arcane touched the pin and said, "I got lost and found this big building and I was gonna steal bread but this lady caught me and - and she ended up giving him this."
For the first time in her short life the small girl saw her mother look genuinely frightened "tell me you didn't tell them who I was, Arcane please tell me you didn't tell them" Arcane shook her head absolutely frightened of the panic in her mother's eyes, Eda hugged her daughter tightly "please be careful my little owlet if they learn that you're my daughter they'll take you away from me."
Arcane snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head to clear her mind "Eda and King." she said, Luz nodded, practically bouncing from the force of her head moving. "Well then I guess all that's left to say is welcome to the boiling isles Luz the human."
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Shi-no-musume: Well that was fun, what do you guys think? As always leave a comment and Kudos we love hearing from you
Starlight: Thanks for reading and I'm very happy to be helping to co-write and edit this!!